Deaths by Force on December 5

Deaths by Force (420)

Death by Force

Ajuania Woodley

Female, age 18 · Tulsa, Oklahoma

Killed Dec 5, 1994 · 32 years ago

On a tragic December morning in 1993, the life of 18-year-old Ajuania 'Yonnie' Renee Woodley was brutally cut short in her Tulsa, Oklahoma home. A recent graduate of Washington High School, Ajuania was embracing her newfound independence, sharing a home with…

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Death by Force

Douglas Hopkins

Male, age 32 · Tempe, Arizona

Killed Dec 5, 1993 · 33 years ago

In the winter of 1993, the vibrant music scene of Tempe, Arizona, was struck by a profound loss with the death of Douglas Hopkins, a gifted musician and the creative force behind the Gin Blossoms. Hopkins, a 32-year-old male, had been grappling with a…

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Death by Force

Henry Palacios

Male · Portland, Oregon

Killed Dec 5, 1992 · 34 years ago

In the early morning hours of December 5, 1992, Henry Palacios, a Hispanic male, sought to put his life back together, a life recently marred by the death of his daughter. He had checked himself into the Hooper Center and was awaiting transfer to a detox…

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Death by Force

Burton Gutter

Male · Altamonte Springs, Florida

Found Dec 5, 1990 · 36 years ago

Burton "Big Burt" Gutterman was found dead on December 5, 1990, in his residence at the Capistrano Condominiums on Maitland Avenue in Altamonte Springs, Florida. Gutterman, who was a pawn shop owner, was discovered bound with a variety of restraints, and the…

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Death by Force

Bruce Williams

Male, age 35 · Detroit, Michigan

Killed Dec 5, 1990 · 36 years ago

On the cold evening of December 5, 1990, a dedicated 35-year-old male Detroit Police Officer, Bruce Williams, tragically lost his life in a senseless act of violence. An Army veteran and a five-year veteran of the police force, he was off duty and simply…

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Death by Force

Charles Shields

Male, age 42 · Bonita Springs, Florida

Killed Dec 5, 1988 · 38 years ago

Charles Shields, aged 42, was found murdered on December 5, 1988, in Bonita Springs, Florida. He was discovered inside his trailer near Sand Road by deputies from the Lee County Sheriff's Office. Despite ongoing efforts by investigators, this case remains…

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Death by Force

Gloria Jean Leathers

Female, age 29 · Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Killed Dec 5, 1988 · 38 years ago

In the winter of 1988, a turbulent and violent relationship in Oklahoma City culminated in the tragic death of 29-year-old Gloria Jean Leathers. The tumultuous connection she shared with her live-in girlfriend, Wanda Jean Allen, had been marked by frequent…

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Death by Force

Brian Russell Poole

Male, age 36 · San-diego, California

Killed Dec 5, 1988 · 38 years ago

Brian Russell Poole, aged 36, tragically passed away on December 5, 1988, in San Diego, California. His death was a significant event that led to an extensive investigation by local authorities. The circumstances surrounding his death were initially unclear…

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Death by Force

Andy Begay

Male, age 36 · Window-rock, Arizona

Killed Dec 5, 1987 · 39 years ago

In the winter of 1987, a 36-year-old Navajo Tribal Police Officer, Andy Begay, met a tragic and violent end. On the night of December 5th, he and his partner, Officer Roy Lee Stanley, were investigating a report of a party with alcohol being served in a…

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Death by Force

Roy Lee Stanley

Male, age 27 · Window-rock, Arizona

Killed Dec 5, 1987 · 39 years ago

In the winter of 1987, the sense of security for the Navajo Nation was shattered by the brutal killing of two of its own police officers. Among them was Roy Lee Stanley, a 27-year-old male officer with the Navajo Division of Public Safety. He, along with his…

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Death by Force

Lonny Gene Brewer

Male, age 29 · Escondido, California

Killed Dec 5, 1987 · 39 years ago

Lonny Gene Brewer, a 29-year-old deputy with the San Diego County Sheriff's Department, tragically lost his life on December 5, 1987, during a tactical operation in Escondido, California. Brewer was part of the Special Enforcement Detail (SED), a specialized…

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Death by Force

Phyllis Bell

Female, age 51 · New-orleans, Louisiana

Killed Dec 5, 1987 · 39 years ago

In the winter of 1987, a 51-year-old woman named Phyllis Bell was tragically killed in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her life was cut short on December 5th, when a violent encounter unfolded outside her home. The incident began when a career criminal, Tyrone…

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Death by Force

Robert Van Hall

Male, age 35 · Albany, New York

Killed Dec 5, 1980 · 46 years ago

On a cold December day in 1980, Robert Van Hall, a 35-year-old male investigator with the New York State Police, was killed in the line of duty. The events leading to his death unfolded in Corning, New York, where he and his partner were conducting an…

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Death by Force

Ottelia Tavender

Female · Cincinnati, Ohio

Killed Dec 5, 1978 · 48 years ago

On December 5, 1978, Ottelia Tavender, an elderly resident of Cincinnati, Ohio, was found murdered at her residence at 1 E. Court Street. Tavender, who was 84 years old at the time, had been beaten to death. The brutal nature of the attack shocked the…

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Death by Force

Foster Luyster

Male, age 41 · Tulsa, Oklahoma

Killed Dec 5, 1978 · 48 years ago

In the winter of 1978, a quiet Tulsa neighborhood was shaken by a brutal crime that remains a haunting mystery. On December 5th, 41-year-old Foster Ellis Luyster Jr., a white male, was found murdered in his home at 1326 S. Indian Avenue. The devastating…

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Death by Force

Arthur Breland

Male, age 54 · Akron, Ohio

Killed Dec 5, 1974 · 52 years ago

On December 5, 1974, Arthur Breland, age 54, was shot and killed during what appears to have been a home invasion in Akron, Ohio. The incident took place at his residence at 1058 Mercer Avenue in Summit County. At approximately 10 p.m., Arthur was fatally…

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Death by Force

Arthur Lee Breland

Male, age 54 · Akron, Ohio

Killed Dec 5, 1974 · 52 years ago

Arthur Lee Breland, a 54-year-old Black male, was fatally shot inside his residence at 1058 Mercer Avenue in Akron, Ohio, on December 5, 1974. The incident occurred during what appeared to be a home invasion. Despite extensive investigations by the Akron…

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Death by Force

Steven Armenta

Male, age 43 · Benicia, California

Killed Dec 5, 1973 · 53 years ago

Field Supervisor Steven Laurence Armenta, aged 43, tragically lost his life on December 5, 1973, in Benicia, California. Armenta was engaged in an undercover operation aimed at purchasing cocaine as part of his duties with the Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement.…

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Death by Force

Sophie Clark

Female, age 20 · Boston, Massachusetts

Killed Dec 5, 1962 · 64 years ago

Sophie Clark, a 20-year-old African-American woman, was tragically murdered on December 5, 1962, in Boston, Massachusetts. A student at the Carnegie Institute of Medical Technology, Sophie was known for her ambition and dedication to becoming a nurse. She was…

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Death by Force

John Aquilla Moore

Male, age 27 · Birmingham, Alabama

Killed Dec 5, 1913 · 113 years ago

John Aquilla Moore, a 27-year-old White male, had been a dedicated officer with the Birmingham Police Department for five years, following in the footsteps of his father, who also served on the force. On the night of Friday, December 5, 1913, Officer Moore…

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Death by Force

Clara Laimbeer

Female, age 39 · Baltimore, Maryland

Killed Dec 5, 1907 · 119 years ago

Clara Stephens Bloodgood Laimbeer, a 39-year-old White female and prominent Broadway stage actress, tragically took her own life on December 5, 1907, in Baltimore, Maryland. Born in Long Branch, New Jersey, she had built a career that saw her achieve…

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Death by Force

James Keith Hawkins

Male, age 63 · Norman, Oklahoma

Killed Dec 5, 2019 · 7 years ago

In December of 2019, concern grew for 63-year-old James Keith Hawkins when he hadn't been seen for some time at his residence in Norman, Oklahoma. The manager of the Apple Creek Estates apartments decided to request a welfare check, a decision that would…

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Death by Force

Sandra L. Oliphant Martin

Female, age 74 · Kingston, Pennsylvania

Killed Dec 5, 2018 · 8 years ago

Sandra L. Oliphant Martin, a 74-year-old female, died on December 5, 2018, in the Kingston/Swoyersville area of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, in a case that authorities later determined was a murder-suicide. Online reports identify her death as the result of…

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Death by Force

James Ostrowski

Male, age 58 · Chicago, Illinois

Killed Dec 5, 2018 · 8 years ago

James Ostrowski, 58, was found stabbed to death inside a home in the 800 block of West Agatite Avenue in the Uptown neighborhood on Chicago's North Side on the evening of Wednesday, December 5, 2018. He lived on the same block. The Chicago Police Department…

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Death by Force

Roberto De La Cruz

Male · Los-angeles, California

Killed Dec 5, 2017 · 9 years ago

Roberto De La Cruz Jr., a 33-year-old Latino, was tragically shot and killed on December 5, 2017, in Panorama City, Los Angeles. The incident occurred around 12:35 p.m. near the Sepulveda Recreation Center, located in the 8800 block of Kester Avenue. Patrol…

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Death by Force

James Morgan Jr.

Male, age 56 · Birmingham, Alabama

Killed Dec 5, 2015 · 11 years ago

On the evening of December 5, 2015, a tragedy unfolded in Birmingham, Alabama, that cut short the life of 56-year-old James Morgan Jr. Morgan was walking with a friend when he was fatally shot, a sudden and violent end to an otherwise ordinary day. The…

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Death by Force

Maurice Scott

Male, age 38 · Boston, Massachusetts

Killed Dec 5, 2015 · 11 years ago

On a cold December evening in South Boston, the life of 38-year-old Maurice Scott was brought to a violent and tragic end. On December 5, 2015, at approximately 8:30 p.m., police responded to a call on Old Colony Avenue. There they found Maurice Scott lying…

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Death by Force

Tony Terrell Proctor

Male, age 40 · Fort-washington, Maryland

Killed Dec 5, 2015 · 11 years ago

In Fort Washington, Maryland, a late-night argument between friends escalated into a fatal shooting, leaving one man dead and another sought for his murder. Tony Terrell Proctor, a 40-year-old male, was pronounced dead at the scene from gunshot wounds. The…

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Death by Force

Cordell Frazier

Male, age 24 · Goose-creek, South Carolina

Killed Dec 5, 2014 · 12 years ago

On the night of December 5, 2014, in Goose Creek, South Carolina, Cordell Frazier, a 24-year-old man, was outside at his apartment area on Greenmeadow Drive when gunfire shattered the evening. Authorities said the shooting happened around 9:30–9:34 p.m.…

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Death by Force

Steven Arnett Pettit

Male, age 35 · Accomack County, Virginia

Killed Dec 5, 2013 · 13 years ago

In the late hours of a December night in Accomack County, Virginia, a sequence of events unfolded that would leave a family grieving and a community searching for answers. On Thursday, December 5, 2013, 35-year-old Steven Arnett Pettit, a Black or African…

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Death by Force

Jamie Allan

Male, age 28 · East-riverdale, Maryland

Killed Dec 5, 2010 · 16 years ago

In the community of East Riverdale, Maryland, a life was tragically cut short in the winter of 2010. Jamie James Allan, a 28-year-old male, was killed by an act of gun violence on Sunday, December 5th of that year. Details surrounding the specific…

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Death by Force

Tywon Peoples

Male, age 33 · St. Louis, Missouri

Killed Dec 5, 2008 · 18 years ago

Tywon Peoples was 33 years old when he was killed in St. Louis, Missouri, on Friday, December 5, 2008. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated his death, and the Washington Post's homicide database, which tracked killings in St. Louis from…

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Death by Force

Bernard Timothy Heaney

Male, age 30 · Flanders, New York

Killed Dec 5, 1988 · 38 years ago

On a cold December day in 1988, the life of Bernard Timothy Heaney, a 30-year-old Caucasian male, was tragically cut short in a sudden and senseless act of violence. The fatal incident unfolded on December 5th outside his auto-body shop, Save-On Customizing…

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Death by Force

Kate Furlow

Female, age 79 · Coweta, Georgia

Killed Dec 5, 1985 · 41 years ago

In the quiet of her Coweta County home, 79-year-old Kate Furlow's life came to a violent and tragic end in December of 1985. She was a female who was last seen by her daughter-in-law on the evening of December 4th. The following day, a sense of unease…

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Death by Force

Paul V. Howell

Male, age 50 · Nassau, Bahamas

Killed Dec 5, 1973 · 53 years ago

On December 5, 1973, 50-year-old white male American attorney Paul V. Howell was murdered in Nassau, Bahamas. Howell, a resident of Massillon, Ohio, had traveled to the Bahamas to attend a convention. On the evening of his death, he was in his hotel room when…

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Death by Force

George Ridgeway

Male, age 28 · Snydertown, Pennsylvania

Killed Dec 5, 1910 · 116 years ago

Deputy Sheriff George Ridgeway, aged 28, was shot and killed on December 5, 1910, in Snydertown, Pennsylvania. He was assigned to protect the belongings of a non-union miner who was moving from the Derry No. 1 mine to Snydertown. During the move, Ridgeway was…

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Dates are the day last seen (missing), the day of death, or when the date of death is unknown the day found or reported missing (deaths by force), the day found (unidentified and unclaimed), the victim's date of death (serial killers) and the day of the attack (mass murders). Solved, located, identified and claimed cases are not listed.